Adjustable rolling mill



R. s. LE TOURNEAU 2,376,544

ADJUSTABLE ROLLING MILL May 22, 1945.

Filed July 13, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Fig.1

INVENTORQ R G. LeYbarneau IBY ,1

ATTORNEY;

May 22, 1945. R. G. L: TOURNEAU 2376,544

ADJUSTABLE ROLLING MILL Filed July 13, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v INVENTOR. F R.GfLeTou.rneaw ATTORNEY;

Patented May 22, 1945 ADJUSTABLE ROLLING MILL Robert G. Le Tourneau, Peoria, 111., assignor to R. G. Le Tourneau, Inc., poration of California Application July 13, 1942. Serial No. 450,661

2 Claims.

This invention relates to rolling mills, and particularly to a mill for rolling cylindrical objects.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a mill having a pair of rolls arranged to automatically approach-each other as the rolls rotate and advance the work. Inasmuch as the rolls are formed with cooperating work-receiving grooves which extend thereabout, with such advance of the rolls the work passing through the openings assumes a. taper form. The mill is thus particularly adapted for rolling heavy gun barrels and similar objects in which a taper form is desirable.

However, the mill, with suitable rolls, may also be used for rolling fiat or plate work, and for such use I have arranged the mill so that the work may be fed between the rolls from one side of the mill, or in other words from one end of the rolls, instead of the usual procedure.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved mill.

Figure 2 is a transverse section on the line 2-2.

of Fig. 1, on a reduced scale.

Figure 3 is a sectional plan on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary section showing one of the eccentric hinge-block locking pins in looking position.

Referring now more particularly to the charactersof reference on the-drawings, the mill includes side frames comprising pairs of posts I connected by top and bottom plates 2.

Bearing boxes 3 for the end spindles of a vertically spaced pair of rolls 4 are slidable between corresponding frame posts i, each roll for operation on cylindrical work having a substantially semi-circular groove 5 cut midway of the length I of the roll and together form a work receiving opening 6.

The spindles I of the rolls at one end have transversely offset gears 8 fixed thereon which mesh with pinions 9 disposed in horizontal .alinement with the average position of the rolls. Meshing gears 10 are fixed with the pinions 9, the shaft of one pinion and gear being driven by any suitable power means.

Stockton, Cali! a cor- The different bearing boxes 3 are engaged by vertically adjustable screws l2 threaded through the plates 2 and extending into gear casings l3 disposed above and below the top and bottom plates 2 respectively. The screws in each casing are secured with gears i4 connected in meshing relation by a pinion IS, in order to keep down the size of gears l4 and so that both screws turn in the samedirection. It should be here noted that I the gears H of the lower casing l3 are not shown in Fig. 2; the arrangement however being similar to that shown in the upper casing l3.

The gear I. nearest the driven end of the rolls is engaged by a pinion I6 with which *a gear I1 is secured. This gear ll meshes with a pinion l8 mounted on a socketed spindle I9 journaled in the casing 13; the spindles ill of both casings being axially alined with each other and their sockets facingeach other. A shaft 20 extends between and is splined in the sockets of the spindles of the two casings and intermediate its ends carries a worm wheel 2|, the cooperating worm 22 of which is connected by a gear train 23 with the shaft II. The above gearing assembly, which obviously may be altered as to its exact details, is designed so that the screws l2 will turn and advance or retract the blocks 3 at a predetermined speed ratio relative to the rotating speed of the rolls. The shaft 20 is stationary as to axial movement, being journaled in a housing 24 in which the worm gearing is enclosed. The casings l3 however are supported by the screws I2 and move up ordown therewith.

The upper plate 2 is removable so that said plate, the adjacent screws l2 and the gear housing, may be removed for replacing the grooved rolls with plain rolls if desired. To enable the work to be fed between the rolls from one side of the mill, or from one end of the rolls, if desired.

the side frame posts I opposite the driven side of the rolls are cut away in-a horizontal plane centrally between the rolls or between and on both sides of the adjacent boxes, as indicated at 25. In, order to prevent possible spreading of the frames when the rolls are inoperation, the cut posts I are 'connected on opposite sides of the horizontal gap by a vertical tie bar or block 26. This is pivoted at its upper end on the posts I as at 21, and is releasably connected to the posts below the gap by eccentric pins 28 projecting from stems 29 turnable in posts I. The pins project into openings 30 in the block 26 and when turned to locking position, aline with the bottomof the openings and prevent upward-swinging of the block. when, however, the stems are turned to raise pins 28 in the openings, the block 28 may be swung up and work may be fed between the rolls from one end thereof.

By reason of the position of the pinions 9 relative to the gears 8, the rolls can move toward and from each other the relatively small total distance required without the gear teeth becoming unmeshed, the gearing being of the spur type with large heavy teeth. The bottom plate 2 may be supported from the'mill floor by suitable means such as feet F depending from said plate in straddling relation to the lower gear casing l3.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

shafts, Journal boxes for the shafts mounted for vertical movement in the structure, means supporting the structure from a mill floor in spaced relation thereto, means to drive the rolls, vertical screws threaded in the structure and engaging the boxes, gear trains connecting corresponding screws, casings in which the trains and screws are mounted and movable vertically with the latter and drive means for the trains projecting into the casings and including a single vertical drive shaft journaled on one side of the structure.

2. A rolling mill comprising a pair of cooperating rollers having end shafts, spaced boxes in which the shafts are journaled, side frame members in which the boxes are guided for movement radially of the rolls, the frame members adjacent one pair of boxes being separated in a plane between such boxes to provide an, unobstructed opening between the rolls to allow of feeding of the work into place endwise of the rolls, and means normally connecting such frame members in bridging relation to the opening therebetween; such latter meanscomprlsing a relatively large bar hinged on one side of the opening and eccentrio pins turnably mounted in transversely spaced relation on the other side of the opening and projecting into openings formed in the bar.

ROBERT G. LE TOURNEAU. 

